Covered by Documenter Joanna Tomassoni (notes)
Pet care for seniors
Neighborhood Pets got a financial boost. Cuyahoga County Council approved a grant of up to $30,000 of federal stimulus money to the nonprofit, which offers free and low-cost supplies to pet owners. The grant will support pet care for homebound seniors.
The Slavic Village nonprofit also offers wraparound services for pet owners, said Council Member Sunny Simon. “The pets are the entryway, and sometimes you need different touchpoints for [people] to allow you in to give them help,” Simon said.
One wait for money begins, another ends
This spring, Signal Cleveland spoke with Neighborhood Pets about the nonprofit’s yearslong wait for $25,000 promised from Cleveland City Council’s slice of state casino revenues. At that time, Neighborhood Pets was still waiting for the money, which council approved in December 2021. The organization received a check from the city for the full amount in early September, Executive Director Becca Britton told Signal Cleveland in an email. “It only took years and relentless badgering to make this happen,” Britton wrote.
Construction concerns
Loh, a community activist, spoke about renovations at the YWCA Norma Herr Women’s Center. It is a shelter for women experiencing homelessness. The dust and other construction complications have made it challenging for residents and workers, Loh said. Documenters Walter Topp and Gennifer Harding-Gosnell summarized renovation plans as presented to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission in August of 2022.
Budget shuffle
Council also moved some money budgeted for 2022-2023 to different departments. But first, it voted to remove these proposals from the legislation (found on pg. 86 of the agenda packet) and refer them to committees for further review:
- About $574,000 for the County Executive office for personnel and operating expenses
- About $2.16 million for constructing foster care housing at the Metzenbaum Center
- $2 million for the Freshwater Institute project
Curious about Cleveland City Council’s casino revenue money?
Take a deep dive with civic-minded folks at the Signal Cleveland office on Oct. 10 as part of Data Days 2023. Check out the event and registration details.
